WB Games cutting staff across Seattle studios

It's been almost a week since Canadian developer Silicon Knights reported significant layoffs at its Ontario-based studio, and now it appears WB Games will soon be following suit in Seattle. Over the weekend, the publisher confirmed it is cutting staff across its three owned studios, which include Surreal Software (The Suffering), Monolith Productions (F.E.A.R, Gotham City Imposters), and Snowblind Studios (Lord of the Rings: War in the North)...

“As part of the continual review of our business operations and fluctuating market conditions, we have had to make reductions in our WB Games Seattle workforce,” said a WB Games rep in a statement.

It is not yet known which of the three studios in WB Games' cluster will be affected, however 3D Realms co-founder George Broussard gave his predictions as to the amount of jobs affected in an earlier tweet that preceded the official announcement, writing, “'Tis the season. Warner Brothers Games lays off 60ish across multiple Seattle studios. Good luck, guys.”

Good luck, indeed. Here's hoping the holiday sales boost will mean more opportunities for displaced game makers in 2012.